the Monday Morning Debrief: Do what you can do

Recently I saw the movie “Star Trek Into Darkness” with my brother.  In the movie, Capt. Kirk (played by Chris Pine) comes to an intense point in the movie where he doesn’t know what to do.  It was at this moment he decides to do something Commander Spook disagrees with.  Kirk responds to him by saying, “I have no idea what I am suppose to do. I only know what I can do”. He then proceeds to do what he does best and save the ship.

Kirk’s reaction really struck a cord with me because he exclaimed how I felt before.  See, sometimes when Youth Pastors are hired Senior Pastors and church congregations expect them to be the end all, be all for the student ministry.  There are high expectations that you will be either

• better able to connect with kids than the last guy
• grow the ministry in the next 6 months
• connect all the fringe kids so that they all become active members of your youth program

Have you ever felt that you have had these expectations on you?

These are all definitely things to strive for as you want to connect with students, want to grow the minister and connect those fringe students so that they too can be ministered to.  But just because someone expects you to do certain things doesn’t mean that you are “that person” to accomplish all people’s expectations.  It is when we allow other people’s expectations of us change who we are, we lose sight of what we do best, what actually got us that Youth Director job in the first place.

So, as you deal with other people’s expectations, you may come to the point where you ask, “I have no idea what I am suppose to do”.  It is in that moment that I want to encourage you, do what you know you can do.  Do what you do the best.  You have skills and assets that got you this job.  Use the gifts that God has given you and do what you can do as you give it your all for the Kingdom.  Then allow God to do what he does best, which is make the real change in peoples lives.

Experiences?  Thoughts?  Post a comment below so that we can all benefit and learn from each other.